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JCP v0.2 — Judgment Closure Protocol

Status

Normative (implementable + verifiable)

Purpose

Defines closure semantics as a protocol:

  • valid closure states
  • transition constraints
  • minimal reason / error semantics

This version is a full protocol definition and supersedes v0.1.

It clarifies that judgment closure is not equivalent to outcome finality,
and that a judgment MAY be closed by responsibility transfer,
provided that automated judgment is terminated.

Minimal Closure States

The protocol defines the following minimal and exhaustive closure states:

  • STOP — the judgment lifecycle is terminated within the automated system
  • CONTINUE — the judgment remains open and automated judgment may proceed
  • EXECUTE — the judgment is closed with an executable outcome within the automated system

No additional closure states are defined by this protocol.

Closure Semantics

A judgment is considered closed when it reaches either:

  • STOP, or
  • EXECUTE

A judgment in CONTINUE state is not closed.

Closure indicates termination of the judgment lifecycle
within the automated system, regardless of whether
a final outcome is produced.

Responsibility Transfer and STOP Semantics

This version clarifies that a judgment MAY reach closure via
responsibility transfer, which MUST be represented as STOP.

When a judgment is closed by responsibility transfer:

  • the automated system MUST stop further judgment processing;
  • the judgment MUST be considered complete within the automated system;
  • subsequent decisions are outside the scope of automated judgment;
  • the closure MUST NOT be treated as a failure state.

Responsibility transfer does not introduce a new closure state
and does not alter the minimal closure state set.

Transition Constraints

The following transition constraints apply:

  • A judgment in CONTINUE MAY transition to STOP or EXECUTE.
  • A judgment in STOP or EXECUTE MUST NOT transition to any other state.
  • Closure by responsibility transfer MUST NOT re-enter automated judgment flows.
  • Once closure is reached, the judgment lifecycle is irreversibly terminated.

Minimal Reason / Error Semantics

This protocol does not require detailed reason or error taxonomies.

At minimum:

  • a closure MUST be attributable to a valid closure state;
  • implementations MAY attach implementation-specific reason or error metadata;
  • such metadata MUST NOT alter the closure state semantics defined herein.

Compatibility

Declared compatible with:

  • JPS v0.1
  • JCP v0.1

Systems compliant with v0.1 remain compliant with v0.2.

This version introduces no breaking behavior
and preserves all outcome-based closure semantics defined in v0.1.

Freeze Notice: This version is frozen. Only PATCH-level corrections are permitted.